Meditation: The Choice of a State of Life: Conformity to the Holy Will of God in the Choice (7): Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity(6)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity(6)

0 Holy and Adorable Trinity, I adore Thy divine essence and Thy Three Eternal Persons; I adore Thee for having been present at my baptism; I adore all the designs of Thy Providence for me. I beg Thee (6). St. John Eudes makes the following reflections before this prayer to the Blessed Trinity:

"As has been said, it is our Lord Jesus Christ who baptizes the faithful; but each soul i s baptized in the Name and by the power of the Most Holy Trinity. The Three Divine Persons me present at Holy Baptism in a particular manner. The Father is present generating His Son in the soul and imparting to it a new being and new life in His Son. The Son is present, being born and receiving life in the soul, transmitting His divine sonship, by which the neophyte becomes a child of God, just as He is Son of God. The Holy Spirit is present, forming Jesus in each even a He was formed in the bosom of the Virgin. The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are present, separating the new. born Christian from all things, taking possession of him and consecrating him specially to Themselves, imprinting Their divine character and image on his soul and establishing in his being (as in Their living temple, Their sacred tabernacle, or Their holy throne and heaven) the dwelling- place of the Blessed Trinity, Their glory, kingdom and life. And consequently, if only sin did not stand in the way, the Three Eternal Persons; would dwell always in each Christian heart in a particular and ineffable mama; They would most wonderfully glorify one another by living in the soul a most holy and divine life. So, too, i t follows that we belong to God as creatura entirely consecrated to Him and we must consequently pursue no other purpose in life save His glory and service, In this connection it would be well to pay the following tribute of praise to the Holy Trinity.« The Kingdom of Jesus,» P. 310

Our Birth and Baptism 165

to forgive me for impeding their fulfilment and in satisfaction I offer Thee the life, actions and sufferings of my Lord Jesus Christ and of His most holy Mother. I give myself to Thee, 0 Divine Trinity, for the accomplishment of those same designs.

0 Eternal Father, 0 Thou the only Son of God, 0 Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son, enter into me; enter into my heart and my soul; separate me from all that is not Thyself, draw me to Thyself, live and reign in me, destroy in me all that displeases Thee, and cause my being and my life to be completely consecrated to Thy pure glory.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"I renounce thee, Satan; I adhere to Thee, 0 Christ." Abrenuntio, Satana; adhaeres tibi, Christe. 167-

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The Preparation for Death (1)

DEATH is usually preceded by such violent throes of intense weakness that the dying person is unable to direct his thoughts to God and cannot render the homage owed to His divine majesty at that crucial time. Therefore, it is extremely advisable to anticipate this disability by setting aside a few days each year to carry out now what one ought rightfully to render to God at the hour of death. St. Gertrude tells us that when she had once performed this exercise, our Lord revealed that it was most pleasing to Him, and He promised to set aside her preparation and keep it for the day of her death. We should be confident that in His goodness He will give this grace to us also, if we make use of the same exercise. To this end, we may make, during ten consecutive days, the following meditations, or else choose one each month in our retreat. (1). These meditations are found in "Part Seven" of The Kingdom Of Jesus", PP. 312-344. They are both inspiring and practical. Religious communities will find them most useful for the monthly retreat and for the Preparation for death.

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Submission to the Will of God

Let Us Accept Death as a Punishment for Our Sins and

As a Homage to the Sovereignty of God

0 my Lord Jesus, behold me prostrate at Thy feet, adoring my judge and Sovereign, as Thou dost pronounce on me the sentence of death, pronounced to Adam and in his person to all sinners, by Thy words: "Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return" (Gen. 3, 19). In honor of Thy exceeding great love and most profound humility with which Thou didst hear and accept the sentence of death, spoken by Pilate, the Roman Governor, but willed by Thy Eternal Father, in honor of and in homage to His divine justice, I submit with my whole heart to the sentence of death Thou didst pass upon me even at the beginning of the world, recognizing that I have deserved it not only by original sin, but each time I have committed sin.

0 my God, I recognize that even if I were guilty of no sin, whether original or actual, nevertheless, by Thy absolute sovereignty and power over me Thou couldst in all holiness take away my life, annihilate me and do with me as Thou wilt.

And so in honor of the very great love and in union with the deep submission with which the Blessed Virgin, Thy Mother, accepted death even though she was not obliged to die, by reason of any sin, original or actual, I, too, accept death in homage to Thy sovereignty, abandoning myself entirely into Thy hands, that Thou mayest dispose of me in time and in eternity, according to Thy holy will , for Thy greater glory.

LET US ACCEPT DEATH To HONOR THE DEATH

And the Sovereignty of Our Lord

0 Jesus, Thou art eternal and immortal; Thou art the source of an life, yet Thou dost will to die on the Cross the most cruel and ignominious of all deaths in homage to the justice and sovereignty, the divine and eternal life of Thy Father, and to give me a token of Thy love. And so, my Saviour, even if I were not obliged to die on account of my sins, and even if (to suppose the impossible) I depended in no way upon Thy sovereignty, and even indeed if Thou hadst not died for me in particular, I ought not only to accept death, but even to desire to die, in order to honor Thy holy death, which is so exalted and worthy of honor that all living creatures ought to subject themselves to death voluntarily even if they were not already obliged to die, in homage to the death of their Creator made Man.

Even if Thou hadst not died, 0 my God, all living things ought most willingly to sacrifice their very existence to pay homage to Thy supreme and eternal being, and to bear witness by this sacrifice that Thou alone art worthy to live, and that no other being or life has any right to show itself, but should be annihilated in Thy presence as the stars of heaven are extinguished in the light of the sun.

Thy death is so worthy of honor and homage, Thy life is most worthy to be adored. W ith excessive love Thou didst will to die, not only to satisfy the justice of God the Father and to honor His sovereignty, but also to sacrifice Thy human and temporal life for the glory of the divine and eternal life with Thy Father and Holy Spirit. By this sacrifice Thou didst bear witness before heaven and earth, that there is none but the divine life alone that is worthy of existence, and all other created life, however noble and excellent, should be extinguished in the sight and in the presence of this supreme and uncreated life. Therefore, in honor of Thy death, in homage to Thy Life, in union with the infinite love with which Thou didst thus will to die, for such great and divine intentions, and also in honor of the burning love with which Thy Blessed Mother and all Thy saints,

especially Thy holy martyrs, embraced death with a very ready will for the same intentions, I accept and embrace death with my whole heart, in whatever form it may please Thee to send it to me, that is, in the place, time, manner and under all the circumstances it shall please Thee to decree.

And so if Thou dost order me to die a painful or even a shameful death, or that I be left desolate and abandoned by all human help, or if I am to be deprived of the use of my senses and reason, provided Thou art always with me, Thy holy will be done. I desire to accept and embrace all this i n honor of Thy most sorrowful and ignominious death, in honor of the unspeakable desolation Thou didst suffer on the Cross, abandoned by all when even the face of Thy All-loving Father seemed veiled. I accept it in homage to the surrender of Thy senses-, Thou didst make in earliest childhood. I honor Thee in the humiliation Thou didst suffer, being treated as a madman by Thine own people, at the beginning of the preaching of the Holy Gospel, and by Herod and his court during Thy Passion.

Finally, my Dear Jesus, I place myself entirely in Thy hands. I abandon myself so completely to Thy good pleasure that I no longer desire to have any other will or desire, save to let Thee win , desire and choose for me, in this and in everything else. Thou dost possess infinite wisdom and power and Thou hast a far greater knowledge and power and will to further Thy glory than I ever could have. One thing alone I beg of Thee, and it is that, since Thou didst die in love, by love and for love, if I am not worthy to die for Thy love or by that love, at least Thou mayest permit me to die in Thy dear love.

0 my Jesus, I implore that, just as Thou didst perform all actions and functions for Thyself and for all men, especially for Thy children and friends, I may be permitted, in honor of and in union with Thy love, to perform all these actions and render unto Thee all due homage not only for myself but for all men, especially for all those for whom Thou knowest that I am both bound and anxious to pray with particular fervor.

Let Us Accept Death to Honor the Death

Of the Blessed Virgin Mary

0 Mother of Jesus, surely it would seem that thou shouldst not have died, since thou art the Mother of the Eternal and Immortal Son of God, who is life itself I Yet thou didst willingly submit to death,, in homage to the most adorable death of thy Son. Thus, thy death is so exalted and worthy of honor that all creatures ought to subject themselves to death by their own free will, in order to honor the death of their Sovereign Lady, the Mother of their Creator. Therefore, 0 holy Virgin, even if I were not obliged to die, I should, nevertheless, wish to accept death freely, and offer it to thee together with the death of each one who is dear to me, and of all mankind, in homage to thy most holy death. I most humbly implore thee, 0 Mother of Life, to unite my death to thine in honor of the death of thy Son and to obtain from Him the grace to die in His favor and in His love.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return." Pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris (Gen. 3, 19).

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Thanksgiving for Graces Received

Let Us Thank Our Lord for All the Graces

That We Have Received from Him

AFTER we have made the solemn act of acceptance, we should prepare for a holy death, first by thanking Our Lord for all the favors we have received from Him in our whole lifetime. And it is very wise to devote a day to this exercise as follows:

0 Jesus, I contemplate and adore Thee as the principle and source of all good things and all temporal and eternal graces past, present and future, in heaven and on earth, especially those I have received from Thee. I refer all these graces to Thee, for Thou art their source and Thy glory is their destiny. 0 good Jesus, who could ever describe all the favors that Thou hast done me? They are numberless and I am utterly incapable of thanking Thee for them as Thou dost deserve. 0 dearest Lord, may all that ever was, is, or shall be in me, may all earthly and heavenly creatures, all the angels and saints, Thy Holy Mother, Thy Holy Spirit, Thy Eternal Father, all the powers of Thy divinity and humanity, and all the graces and mercies which emanated from Thee, may all these be employed in praising Thee forever. May they be entirely transformed into everlasting praise of Thee, of all that Thou art together with Thy Father, Thyself and Thy Holy Spirit, and of all the graces Thou didst ever impart to Thy sacred humanity, Thy Blessed Mother, the angels and saints, and all creatures, and especially the graces Thou hast given me, or would have given me if I had not stood i n Thy way.

0 Father of Jesus, Holy Spirit of Jesus, Mother of Jesus, angels of Jesus, saints of Jesus, and all creatures of Jesus, bless and give thanks

to Him for me forever. 0 Divine Jesus, do Thou glorify Thyself for me and return to Thyself a hundredfold all the thanks I ought to render to Thee.

Let Us Thank Our Lady, and All the Angels and Saints

For the Many Favors Received Through Them

0 Good Jesus, Thou knowest how many favors and benefits I have received from Thy Blessed Mother, the angels and saints in heaven, and from many persons on earth. Thou knowest also how incapable I am of acknowledging them and giving thanks for them as I ought. And so I have recourse to Thee, imploring Thee most humbly to make up for my deficiencies and to give, on my behalf, to all those Souls, both in heaven and on earth, all that I ought to render to them for the benefits I have received through their intercession.

0 Mother of Grace, Mother of my God, it is through thy mediation that I have received all the graces ever bestowed on me from heaven. May heaven and earth bless thee for them all, on behalf of myself and of all the thoughtless persons who have received favors from thee and give thee no thanks whatever.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"Let us return thanks to the Lord our God." Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. 176-

Confession, Satisfaction for Our Sins

IN REPARATION FOR OUR SINS LET Us OFFER Jesus ALL THE GLORY

THAT HE RECEIVED From His FATHER, His HOLY SPIRIT,

The Blessed Virgin, the Angels and the Saints

HAVING set aside one day to thank God for all the graces He has given us in our lifetime, it is most necessary that we devote another day to ask forgiveness for our sins and to make satisfaction to Him. To that end, we ought on this day to make a good confession, either an extraordinary confession or one marked by unusual contrition and selfabasement, with as much care as if it were to be our last confession. As a preparation for this confession we should set aside a little time during the day to meditate on this matter, in the presence of God, in the following way:

0 Most Lovable Jesus, infinitely worthy of all service and love, to Whom I owe debts without number, Thou didst create me only to love and serve Thee.. Yet I have done scarcely anything but offend Thee by thought, word and deed, by all my bodily senses and spiritual faculties, by my misuse of Thy creatures, against all Thy commandments, in countless different ways. 0 what sins! What ingratitude! What betrayals! Lord Jesus, I cast all my offenses upon Thy divine love, into the abyss of Thy mercies. Grant that I may be utterly transformed into sorrow and contrition, with tears of blood to detest and wipe out the sins I have committed against that immense Goodness, so deserving of love and honor! My God, what is there that I could ever do to make reparation for my sins? But even if I were to suffer all the torments and martyrdom in the world, I still could not of myself alone repair the insult given Thee by even the least of my faults.

Let Us Offer to God in Reparation for Our Sins

THE HONOR WHICH JESUS RENDERED To HIM

0 Good Jesus, I offer Thee instead all the glory, love and service given Thee by all the saints and Thy most Blessed Mother, by their holy thought~ words and actions, by holy use of their bodily senses and their spiritual Powers, by their eminent virtues and sufferings, in satisfaction for the failures of my lifetime. I offer Thee likewise an the honor given Thee forever by all the angels, by the Holy Spirit, by Thyself, and by the Eternal Father, in reparation for the dishonor I have given Thee all my life.

0 Heavenly Father, 0 Holy Spirit, 0 ye angels and saints, offer up for me, to my Saviour, all the love and glory you ever gave Him, in satisfaction for the wrong I have done Him by my offenses.

Miserable sinner that I am, by offending my God I have offended all things. I have offended the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, the Mother of God, all the angels and saints, and all creation, for all are concerned and offended in offense to their Creator. How, 0 my God, how can I make reparation for so many offenses, make satisfaction to so many persons and pay off so many debts? I know what I will do: I have my Jesus who is in Himself an infinite wealth of virtues, merits and good works. He has been given me to be my riches, my virtue, my sanctification, my redemption and reparation. I shall offer Him to the Eternal Father, to the Holy Ghost, to the Blessed Virgin, to all the angels and all the saints in reparation and satisfaction for all the faults I have committed. 0 Holy Father, 0 Divine Spirit, I offer all the love and honor that my Jesus gave you by all His divine thoughts, words and actions, by His divine employment of all the members of His body and of His soul, by all His glorious virtues and heroic sufferings, in satisfaction for all the offenses I have committed against you all m y life long.

0 holy Virgin, 0 holy angels, 0 blessed saints, I offer you my treasure and my all, my Saviour Jesus Christ; I conjure you to draw from His infinite storehouse of merit whatever you require i n payment and

satisfaction for all the debts I owe you, by reason of my sins and negligence.

0 my Jesus, my divine Redeemer, do Thou make reparation for all my faults, and by Thy very great mercy atone for all my sins committed against the Eternal Father, Thyself the Son, the Holy Spirit, Thy most Blessed Mother, the angels and saints and all persons I have offended. I give myself to Thee to do and suffer in atonement whatsoever may be pleasing to Thy holy will, accepting now all the sufferings of body or spirit that I may have to bear, whether in this world or in the next, i n satisfaction for my sins.

0 most holy Virgin, I have so many obligations to serve and venerate thee; yet I have so little honored and so greatly offended thee by offending thy Son! I beg thy forgiveness, 0 Mother of Mercy, and I offer thee in satisfaction all the honor ever accorded thee in heaven and on earth. I implore all the angels and saints, the Holy Ghost, thy Son, and the Eternal Father to supply for my deficiencies, and fill up the measure of glory I ought to have rendered to thee all my life long.

Ejaculatory prayer:

"My sin is always before me." Peccatum meum contra me est semper (Ps. 50, 5)

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Holy Communion